The Photo Album
by Sarlicsooth
Summary: The Scouting Legion gets everyone's photographs back. But in the midst of the fun that is pointing out everyone's photogenic problems, Armin sees something in Jean's photo that wasn't expected to be there... Slight Jean/Marco. Just something I whipped up. Enjoy!


"You look like you were taking a shit."

"Captain Levi is right, you know. Though it isn't how I would word it," Armin piped up while smiling apologetically at his friend. Eren looked more flustered than angry. "Your smile is fine any other time though..."

"I can't just force a smile!" Eren argued. "Of course it isn't going to look natural!"

"Your real smile is ugly anyways," Jean said as he entered the room. "What's going on?"

"We all got out photographs back," Armin answered, getting ready to flip over to the next page. Though the photographs were more for identification, it only attracted swarms of people who wanted peeks at all of them.

"Wow, Jaegar. I didn't know you could screw up your face more than it already was," Jean commented, as he peeked over another's shoulder.

"As if you have any room to talk, horseface," his rival muttered.

"Levi, you didn't even try, did you?" Erwin was the one to comment this time. He sounded more amused than annoyed. Though if he did find the situation comical, he didn't let it show too much.

"I look fine," said the shorter man. "Nothing could be as bad as Jaegar's photograph anyways."

Armin flipped the page. Mikasa's had turned out just fine. Perfect, in fact. Despite not having smiled, she seemed naturally photogenic. Jean almost commented on it. But in light of Eren being here, he chose to keep quiet. ...This time around.

Next was Armin's. It looked perfectly fine as well. But who in the hell had organized this damn thing anyways?

"Whoever put this in order needs to revise their organization skills." It seemed Levi may be able to read Jean's mind. Of course, it shouldn't have surprised him. The man liked things to be kept in order. Weird.

When the next page was flipped, Armin and Eren burst into laughter. Unfortunately for Connie, the photographer must not have been paying attention. Half of his face was cut out of the photograph.

"It isn't that funny," Connie huffed. Jean would have to agree, it didn't strike him as anything hilarious. But perhaps it was because he hadn't been standing there as long seeing photograph after photograph.

"Oi, Erwin?"

"Hm?"

"I want this album after we're done. I'm changing the order to something that actually makes sense."

"Do with it what you will."

The next picture was Jean himself. From where he stood, he looked just fine. Way better than Eren's at least. Though that didn't count for much in this case. "That's how you take a photo, Jaegar. Take notes."

"You may be able to take a photo, but I can still beat you in combat. So keep running your mouth," Eren retorted.

"Is that a threat?"

"Do you want it to-"

"Guys! Look at this..."

Eren and Jean's eyes had locked into an intense stare-off. But it had only lasted but five seconds before Armin's voice broke it off. Everyone leaned further in, to look at whatever the blond was pointing at. "It's faint..."

"What is that?"

"It would just be some kind of flaw, right?" Sasha asked. Armin remianed unconvinced.

"No, it has a definite shape," Armin murmured, tracing the lines. Jean, wanting to get a better look, squeezed in between Armin and Eren.

"Move it Jaegar, it's my photograph."

"Make me."

"Both of you knock it off," Mikasa warned calmly. Neither said another word to the other.

"See? Right above your shoulder, right here... I could swear it's a...face..."

"Do you kids believe in ghost stories or something?" Levi asked, somewhat annoyed at this point.

"No, wait! Look, he's right!" Connie said. "It does look like a face..."

"With...freckles, just like...Marco's..." He hated it. He hated the looks he got, and Jean suddenly wished he hadn't said a damned word. It couldn't be healthy, right? Thinking you saw the face of your closest, deceased friend in your photograph?

"As much as I don't believe in these things," Mikasa said quietly, "I would be inclined to agree. There does look like freckles..."

All eyes had torn off of Jean and back to the photograph, and they all mumbled in agreement.

The room was filled with intense silence, and Jean wondered if anyone would speak again. The clock ticked on the wall, and everyone looked around awkwardly.

"You're all tired, you're seeing things," Erwin supplied. "Get some rest. We have work to do in the morning."

The Commander left the room, with Levi following behind. But the captain stopped short at the doorway. Without turning around, he said, "...Think of it this way. Even if it is real, it just means he's watching over you. Let him do his damn job and don't disturb him. He's got one hell of a workload with you Kirschtein."

As strange as the words sounded, and despite the almost uncaring tone, the entire room seemed to have a better atmosphere. Everyone began to file out of the room in a much lighter mood.

"...Are you coming, Jean?" Armin asked, glancing back at the last soldier.

"Yeah. Just give me a minute." The blond hesitated, but then smiled and left the room. Jean glanced back at the photograph one last time.

He smiled.

"Thanks, Marco."

Perhaps a certain freckled friend could hear him.

* * *

Thank you for reading! I just get these random inspirations for writing Jean/Marco, so they aren't very well thought out. Hopefully I can carefully plan one for once!

Have a lovely day/night!


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